


Tengu and the Red Thread of Fate

by moor



Category: Naruto
Genre: Historical AU, Multi, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Reincarnation AU, Supernatural AU - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-20 15:40:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21284108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moor/pseuds/moor
Summary: Gift fic for jaylene from Alecto228:Setting: Changes: Tengu and red thread of fate. Itachi and Shisui find Sakura in each of her lifetimes and are to her what she needs, be that found family, friends, lovers- either way, it's love. Shisui is EXCITED each time they find her and can barely keep himself together. Story told from their POV. Romance in the final lifetime.Pairing- ItaSakuShi
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Itachi/Uchiha Shisui
Comments: 15
Kudos: 202





	1. Red Thread of Fate

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jaylene](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaylene/gifts).

> Dedication from Alecto228 to jaylene:  
I’m an escapist. Life gets hard. At the end of a long day I want nothing more than to run away sometimes. I can’t though. I can’t physically run, but I can go somewhere else mentally. The stories that Vesperchan and Jaylene have so graciously gifted the community have let myself, and I suspect countless other readers, slip into adventures where we can find love, family, and friendship. We’re not so alone in those stories and if we are, it’s never for long. We come out so much stronger, much more whole for having our hearts ache. We’re better for it in the end. The time fanfiction authors spend honing their craft among their many other responsibilities is often thankless, but I feel very strongly about both of these authors and what their works have meant to me personally. The opportunity to ask Moor, an incredible author in her own right, to bring to life scenarios I thought of for Vesperchan and Jaylene specifically to show my appreciation was too good to pass up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: 3 Sept 2020:  
I need to share this with you, readers. Tumblr user @emilyisnursebaymax asked @remmy37 to make some fanart for this fic, and I am so overwhelmed by how beautiful it is. It is at the top of this page, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Please pay careful attention to the details of Shisui and Itachi's masks and the settings around them. @emilyisnursebaymax and @remmy37, I can't thank you enough for such a breathtakingly beautiful gift! <3 <3 <3 I even showed it to my husband and kids. Thank you!!

* * *

_**Tengu** _

As the Fujiwaras pulled their Honda to a stop on the side of the unpaved road, the shadows of the forest lengthened. A crow cawed and took to wing as the driver turned off the engine. The wind whistled around them, a constant in the high altitudes.

“Okay Tomo, we’ll have a break. Stay close,” said Takashi, the father, as they opened the doors to the car. “I don’t want you getting lost. These trees are pretty dense.”

They were, and covered in vines, moss and other overgrowth. From the side of the road, buffeted by the mountain winds, the light petered out quickly inside the treeline, the towering canopy of boughs shielding the undergrowth from the early afternoon sun.

“Look, there’s a shrine,” said Tomo. At four years old, he fumbled a bit with his carseat harness and wiggled out after a minute or so. Tomo dutifully put on the red windbreaker his father handed him, zipping it up on the second try. “Can we explore?”

Takashi looked doubtfully at the shrine that was nestled several hundred meters away from the main road, down a smooth-stoned path. They had stopped so the hyperactive four-year old could work out some of his energy, not go tromping through the ancient growth of the Japanese mountain forest. This wasn’t a Ghibli movie, it was their family vacation. They had to make it to their inn before nightfall when certain mountain pass roads were closed off for safety. The weather was better in April, but the mists rolled in nightly. If they missed the cutoff time, they would have to turn back, drive all the way back down the mountain, and then try again the next day.

Takashi grimaced inwardly. He doubted Tomo would sit as quietly in the back of the car for a second run.

Their GPS and phones had lost signal an hour before and there had been no hint of a mobile phone signal tower or village for miles, so high were they in the mountains. Takashi’s paper map (thank heavens he had accepted the one offered at the last gas station) and directions had steered them true so far, but it was a bit unnerving to be so... alone.

Leaning against the side of the car, Takashi looked around them before checking the map. The corners fluttered in the wind as he traced their winding route, double-checking it for any errors. Still, they were on track, if the map was correct. It was just a surprise to see the current shrine: All the other landmarks and temples had been marked by icons or notes from the gas station clerk. Huh.

“Everything okay?” asked Mariko, Takashi’s oldest. At fourteen, she had been doing the navigating from the front passenger seat and had steered them straight at every turn. She also happened to have an excellent memory. “We’re passing all the right checkpoints.”

“Do you remember anyone mentioning this shrine?” asked Takashi. He and Mariko left the car and followed Tomo toward the path that led to the ancient-looking building.

Mariko shrugged. “Not off the top of my head, but maybe there’s a plaque closer to the front door.”

“So we’re going?” asked Tomo excitedly. He bounced from one LED-lit sneakered foot to the other, his eyes wide and bright.

Mariko looked at their father, who nodded.

Folding up the map, Takashi tucked it in his back pocket. They started down the path, passing beneath each bright red torii. The shadows quickly darkened around them as the tree canopy enclosed them in its gentle embrace.

“Yes, but remember to be respectful. You never know when the kami could be about,” said Takashi, laying a palm on his son’s messy hair to smooth it out. Tomo was always so excited about everything.

Within seconds of entering the forest, the thick-trunked, prehistoric trees muted the noise of the mountain wind. The breeze was just strong enough to move the worn bamboo chimes that hung in front of the small shrine down the path, however, casting a gentle, welcoming woodwind sound to greet them.

“Forest kami?” asked Tomo. “Will we see one?”

“Maybe,” said Takashi, smiling.

“Or a tengu,” said a voice from behind them.

The small family startled. A tall slender man in a traditional, though well-maintained and decorated happi coat stepped from the shadows of the shrine’s outbuilding, chuckling. The side building, in distinguished disrepair, was camouflaged well, covered in thick green moss and sheltered by the lower tree branches that protected it.

“I apologize. I forgot that you probably couldn’t see me from that angle,” said the man.

“Are you a kami?” Tomo’s eyes were wide and he clutched his father’s trouser legs, leaning closer to him.

The man smiled again. “Oh no, I was just out for a walk. I help tidy the shrine when I pass by sometimes, that’s all.”

“There’s a village nearby?” asked Mariko, her tone suspicious.

“An old one, yes. Not many people there these days,” said the stranger. “Are you lost?”

“Just taking a break,” said Takashi, his intonation leading.

The stranger nodded, ignoring or not understanding the implication in Takashi’s words. Normally it would have been the stranger’s turn to offer some information about himself, but he declined the social norm.

“Why are there birds on the shrine lintel?” asked Tomo, interrupting the stretching silence between the adults.

The stranger’s dark eyebrows rose in puzzlement as he looked between Tomo and the shrine.

“We read stories about the shrines in the area before we started our vacation,” explained Mariko. “He knows all the parts of the shrine.”

“Well, there’s a bit of a local legend about that,” said the man. He pointed his long fingers at the closest torii. “Do you see them?”

Mariko and Tomo looked up and a slow smile spread across Tomo’s face.

“Blackbirds!” the child exclaimed.

Tomo was right. On each torii was carved a pair of blackbirds. The same two birds repeated on each gate, though each pair engaged in a different action or pose: Some played, some spread their wings, some stood guard.

Tomo pointed. “They’re the same birds each time!”

The stranger nodded, admiring the closest torii and pointing to the one next to it. “They’re the same each time, but a _little_ bit different.”

Tomo ran between the different torii gates like they were a line-drill, making the stranger chuckle as he exclaimed over each one. Sure enough, the birds had different, distinct expressions; one with eyes more lively, the other with a solemn cast. The attention to detail between each bird was incredible and spoke of great dedication.

The stranger smiled at Tomo’s enthusiasm and nodded. “In the story, they’re actually cousins, but often we call them The Brothers. You will always see them together.”

“Why do they have red beaks?” asked Mariko. She admired the elegant flower that was carved between the birds. The symbols repeated themselves on each torii and above the doors and windows of the shrine.

“Ah, well, they were special birds,” said the man. “Whenever you see a shrine or a picture of two blackbirds with red beaks and a sakura blossom between them, it has to do with the legend. There are more pictures inside the temple, if you’re curious. You’re all welcome to visit, it’s not private,” he added. “I’m sure the local kami would love to have some new company for a bit. They’re probably quite bored with me by now.” He laughed to himself.

“It’s safe to go inside?” asked Mariko. She grabbed hold of Tomo’s shirt as he darted toward the shrine’s door. “Wait a second.”

“Always. Especially for children,” said the man. “It’s part of the history of our village.”

“How is it ‘specially safe for kids?” asked Tomo, squirming away from his sister. “Leggo!”

“Any shrine you see with those symbols? It means it is for the forest kami who protect children,” explained the man. “Look inside.”

Sure enough, when the family climbed the few steps of the shrine, they found both tall and short tables and benches, at perfect heights for adults and children. It was immaculately clean and a cone of incense burned on the tidy altar. Lanterns glowed softly around them. Several chests were lined up beneath the altars, and between the windows paintings decorated the walls.

“He looks like you!” exclaimed Tomo, pointing to one picture and looking back at the man. He hurried over to it, studied it and then looked back again.

The stranger arched a brow. “You think so?”

Tomo nodded. “It’s you, I can tell.”

Mariko sighed good-naturedly.

“Maybe it’s an old relative,” said Takashi to his son, rubbing his back. “He’s been cooped up in the car for a while,” he explained to their host.

“There are some games and toys in the trunks,” offered the stranger. “They’re old but pretty sturdy. Technically they’re relics, but when the occasional traveller passes through, they’re welcome to use them. They’re all safe,” he assured them. “I’m going to head to the rear yard to tidy the garden a bit. You’re welcome to explore, but it’s a good idea to stick to the paths. If you need anything, just call.”

“Thank you!” called Tomo, waving.

Takashi nodded and waved as the stranger left on his way.

“Toys!”

Mariko and Takashi looked at each other and held in a shared sigh. Tomo had wasted no time in opening the aforementioned storage trunks.

“Do mountain shrines and temples normally have children’s toys?” asked Mariko quietly, standing closer to Tomo. Her eyes examined the painting on the wall; two tall, dark-haired men standing beside a young child, a girl with pink hair, as she fished in a pond.

“They normally have rotten beams and a donation box,” said Takashi, wandering to the side of the small room. Off to the side, a section of wall caught his eye. He stepped closer, running his hand along the wood panels. On a hunch, Takashi began pushing and prodding the wall around him. After a minute or so he shook his head, smiling to himself ruefully. What had he been expecting?

Behind Takashi, he heard his children playing with a cup on a stick, with a ball attached to it on a string. He remembered the game, where one had to flick the stick and try to catch the ball in the cup on the end. It had been popular in his grandparents’ time.

“Almost! Almost!”

“Good job, try again,” encouraged Mariko.

As the children played, Takashi admitted that the roadstop had been a good decision. It was important for the children to play for a bit, and the shrine was beautiful, the longer he looked at it. The wood beams and worn-smooth plank floor spoke of a structure hundreds of years old, but the paintings on the walls seemed much more recent. They were almost lifelike.

With a wiggle of his nose, Takashi noted that there was scent of rot or mildew in the old building. What a hidden treasure, but also, what a chore in such a damp, dark corner of the mountain wood. The village must care deeply for the shrine.

Moving on to the next painting, Takashi paused. On a misty background, there she was again: The pink-haired girl. This time she was playing with a cup-and-ball toy, two blackbirds beside her. The birds had red beaks.

Looking over his shoulder, Takashi noticed the cup-and-ball toy Tomo played with was identical to the one in the painting. The villagers really took their history to heart, bringing it alive, thought Takashi.

Curious, Takashi did a full tour of the shrine, examining each painting, large or small. Behind him his children continued exploring the toys and trunks, putting away the toys they bored of, and pulling out more. Each time Takashi looked back at them, he found another toy that matched a picture, another item that could have been taken straight from one of the paintings. In each picture, the girl with the pink hair stood out clearly, though she was a different age in each one. Sometimes her clothing was different, or her hairstyle, but her vibrant green eyes always shone with intelligence. Outside of the two dark-haired men, and yes, one of them did always resemble the stranger outside, no one else was featured in the paintings. The other man, similar to the first, had long, straight hair, usually held back in a queue. Sometimes they were featured wearing long, intricately woven robes with blackbird patterns sewn along their hem. If the men were absent from a picture, then the blackbirds took their place. It was almost like—

“Dad, look at this fan,” called Mariko, impressed.

In her hands, she held up a red-and-white fan, a cherry-blossom carved into its handle.

“It’s an antique,” said Takashi. “Please be careful. Maybe put that one away,” he said, a strange uneasiness beginning to haunt him.

After making a full circuit of the temple, he noticed a doorway camouflaged in the wood. He took a step closer, reaching out before the hair on the back of his neck stood on end.

Backing away casually, Takashi swallowed down his uneasiness.

“Kids, you about ready to set off again?” asked Takashi, clearing his throat. The incense must be getting to him, he decided. Too much agarwood and sandalwood.

Behind him, the children were silent.

Takashi turned.

The children were gone.

* * *

_1,500 years ago_

It was early morning on the mountainside, and Shisui and Itachi held each other’s eyes as they came across the child in torn clothing who hid inside the hollowed out tree trunk. She had to be from a distant clan, given her unusual hair colouring and clothing, but could be no more than four or five. She slept soundly, wrapped in large leaves. Around them the mist hid the predators that had scented her, both human and animal alike. They were closing in with their bows, arrows, sharp teeth and claws.

Still in their crow form, the Uchiha hopped down from the branch they perched on and approached her carefully.

“Too young to be on her own,” said Shisui. “Where are her family?”

Itachi tilted his head, hopping closer to the girl. His eyes sharpened as he saw her blistered, dirty bare feet. “She has no family.”

A crack sounded nearby. Someone was coming.

The sound woke the little girl who peered out from the tree trunk in fear, her green eyes wide and knowing. Without a sound, she pulled her leaf-blanket closer, trying to make herself smaller. It wouldn’t work, Shisui knew. The hunters were coming and would find her.

Just before closing herself off, the little girl saw the birds. She lifted one hand to her lips and with the other, lifted her leaves to make room for them. She urged them closer with her fearful eyes, willing to offer them whatever protection she could.

Her eyes held theirs, brave and compassionate.

“She does now,” decided Shisui suddenly.

Understanding, without a word, Itachi flew away to create a distraction.

Settling down on the ground outside the hollow tree, Shisui closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he appeared before Sakura, cross-legged, in his human form.

“Shhhhh, I’m here to help,” he whispered as she gaped at him. He smiled and offered her a hand. “Let’s get you some breakfast. Are you hungry?”

The little girl nodded.

“Do you have a name?”

She shook her head, confused.

Shisui maintained his smile, not surprised, though a little heartbroken. She had no clan, then. No wonder she had been abandoned. She may have even been a slave.

“My cousin will be back soon. Let’s get you warmed up. Do you like soup?”

The girl nodded slowly and Shisui reached out with his arms to gently extract her from her hidey-hole. He pulled her close so she could sit on his hip, and she wrapped her too-thin arms around his neck.

“Hold on tight,” said Shisui, wings sprouting from his back. He wrapped an arm around the underweight child before he crouched down and took off through leafy canopy, above the trees, high up into the clouds. He flew them deeper into the mountains, to a village hidden in the leaves.

“My name is Shisui,” he said. He looked at the child and offered her another reassuring smile. “From now on, your name is Sakura, like the beautiful spring flower.”

The little girl’s eyes were wide, her mouth open in awe as they flew. When they reached Shisui and Itachi’s home, the wooden building welcomed them with a magical fire and freshly made food. Shisui was delighted when she tucked into her food, mimicking his movements as he ate across from her.

When Itachi returned, feathers as smooth and unruffled as ever, he transformed into a human and joined Shisui and Sakura as they knelt at their table. From his robes he pulled a small toy, a cup-and-ball stick.

“You’re going to spoil her, aren’t you?” sighed Shisui good-naturedly.

Itachi said nothing, his lips just barely giving in to the urge to smile. He set the toy gently beside Sakura, who glanced at it, surprised, before returning to her meal again. After a few seconds, she looked at it again, hesitantly put her bowl down, and picked up the toy. Looking up at Shisui and Itachi, her brows furrowed.

Sensing her confusion, Itachi reached around Sakura, gently clasping her small hand, and guided her in the motion of tossing the ball and catching it with the cup. Her delighted gasp as they caught it on the first try was music to their ears. Itachi’s stern features softened.

Watching the interaction, Shisui relaxed further, planning. “I guess we’re fathers now,” he said.

“Ah,” said Itachi. He helped himself to his own food and sat back at the table again. Between them, Sakura continued playing with her new toy, occasionally drinking more soup. Her delighted gasps the closer she got to catching the ball in the cup charmed them.

“How long do humans live again?”

Itachi’s eyes fell fondly on Sakura. “Not long,” he said, a touch sadly. “But sometimes they come back.”

* * *

_1,000 years ago_

Shisui called excitedly to Itachi, and they took off from their home, black wings flapping vigorously. Shisui had sensed her again. They found her as a toddler on the steps of a temple. From then on, they were never far. Times had changed, however; they remained her faithful companions, never abandoning their plumed forms.

Years later, from the boughs of the camphor trees, the pair of red-beaked crows watched the scene unfold. Their talons pierced the scented wood as their grip tightened.

Below them, the priestess who had always spoken kindly with them and always shared her food, was a young woman with soft hair and fierce green eyes. She stood her ground at the temple entrance as the warlords and troops surrounded her. Behind the temple, the sun had begun to rise, limning the sacred building with light.

“Hand over your worth,” demanded the closest man.

“We have no riches or money box,” the priestess called.

“That wasn’t the worth we were looking for,” called another mercenary, leaving the assembled men chuckling darkly.

A muscle in the priestess’ jaw clenched. She had defended this temple since childhood and would do so until the end of time. The temple was an orphanage and took in abandoned children from all over the mountain, offering them food, shelter, education and care. They were a family.

The warlords wanted slaves.

Clenching her staff in hand, Sakura lifted her chin.

Above her, the scent of more camphor was released as more birds drew near and found perches, piercing the fragrant wood. In fact, the trees became heavy with flocks of crows, ravens, blackbirds, and vultures.

“Leave while you still can,” warned Sakura.

Itachi and Shisui didn’t need to look at each other to understand the signal. They flew down, each landing on Sakura’s shoulders. They stared down the attackers.

The warlords laughed.

“Going to peck us to death?” they jeered.

Alighting from Sakura’s shoulders, Itachi and Shisui transformed and landed behind Sakura in human form, their eyes glowing red.

A ripple of unease went through the assembled crowd.

“Tengu,” they whispered, fearful and reverent.

The sky turned black as more birds erupted from the trees. Tengu from the Uchiha clan herded the temple children away, protecting them from the violence and ultimate bloodbath that ensued.

When all was done, hours later, the other tengu left Sakura, Shisui and Itachi alone in the rear of the temple, where Sakura’s blood stained the ground.

Sakura looked up at her companions with calm, knowing eyes. Her side bled through her robes, and she understood she had little time left. She lay on the ground, her head propped up in Shisui’s lap. On her other side, Itachi knelt and held her hand, his wings shielding her from the rising sun.

“I knew you were special,” she said as Shisui stroked her hair.

“It’s mutual,” said Shisui, forcing a smile.

“You’ll look after the temple?”

“Always,” vowed Itachi.

* * *

_500 years ago_

The village had been settled decades ago when the merchant caravan passed through. Business was so plentiful that several merchants established a full store within its protective walls, building their homes and businesses close to the road that led into the village to catch the eye of passers by. More than the wares caught the attention of the citizens and visitors, though.

Dusting off her hands, Sakura stretched her neck and moaned softly in relief as it cracked.

“Darling, we would do more business if you would stop assaulting the customers,” sighed Sakura’s mother, Mebuki, watching as another man hobbled away. It was the third that afternoon.

“When they stop trying to take advantage of me, I’ll consider them customers,” replied Sakura.

Mebuki sighed and sent a teenage Sakura to the back room of the shop, as she so often did. Unfortunately, as Sakura left sight of the main thoroughfare, so did much of the business that had been wandering through the tables of silks and threads the Harunos sold. Sakura’s mother sighed again, her shoulders sagging. They did very well, all things considered, but the attention heaped on her daughter was unhealthy and unwanted.

As Sakura passed through the rear curtain, a pair of men entered the Haruno store.

“Good afternoon,” said Itachi, taking in everything around them with a keen eye.

From beside Itachi, Shisui’s attention roamed intently, searching every nook and corner.

_She’s not here._

_She was; we know she’s close._

“Good afternoon, how can I help you?” asked Mebuki.

“We are looking for an assistant for our shop. We are tailors,” said Itachi.

“We understand you have a talented daughter,” added Shisui. “We would like to offer her compensation for her time.”

Mebuki froze in her steps before turning to look at the men.

Itachi and Shisui watched her shrewd eyes appraise them.

“We have need of her here at the moment,” said Mebuki after a minute or two of deliberation. “But perhaps we can work out an arrangement?”

“We also came to purchase stock for our business,” added Shisui. “I understand that your fabrics are some of the most popular, and that your quality is the best in the area.”

“Thank you for your praise, but... This seems too good to be true,” said Mebuki, though less confidently.

Shisui and Itachi imagined it did: Someone offering to take her troublesome daughter off her hands, someone offering to pay her to do so, someone offering a business arrangement for her own store...

“Perhaps Sakura can assist you in the mornings,” relented Mebuki.

“I accept!” called Sakura from the back room.

“Sakura!” scolded Mebuki, turning to face her daughter, her hands on her hips. “You need to stop being so sneaky, it’s rude! I don’t know how you make yourself so quiet.” Turning back to face Shisui and Itachi again, her cheeks pink, Mebuki bowed slightly. “I apologize, you’re getting an excellent employee but she can be a handful.”

_We know_, thought Shisui and Itachi, _and we can’t wait._

Over the next months and years, Sakura was indeed an excellent employee. Her fashions and workmanship were above reproach and caught the eye of hundreds and thousands of travellers. She brought respect and good fortune to not only the Uchihas’ tailorshop but also her family’s textile business. Soon her parents took to travelling again to sell their wares, at the request of faraway leaders.

“Sakura is welcome to stay here,” offered Shisui, when Mebuki mentioned her concern about her daughter remaining in their family home on her own.

“Oh, I couldn’t impose on you,” said Mebuki. “You already do so much for Sakura, providing her with gainful employment.”

“It would be our pleasure to be of service to you. You have done so much to assist us with our business, you are like family,” said Itachi.

“I just don’t think it would be right. Sakura is an unmarried woman, after all,” said Mebuki.

Itachi poured tea as they knelt around the table in the Haruno’s dining room.

“We swear to protect her as if she were a sister or cousin,” promised Shisui. “And were she to stay with us, she would not have to walk back and forth between our premises twice a day.”

Her hands around her teacup, Mrs Haruno worried her lip.

“You promise she will be safe?”

“Yes,” said Itachi and Shisui in unison.

That evening, Shisui and Itachi carried Sakura’s personal items home with them, arranged her room, and collected her the next morning to welcome her into their home.

“So this is what your home is like,” said Sakura, crossing from the store into the rear part of the building, her new home. “How do you have such a large guestroom? This is too much.”

“Please treat it as your own,” said Shisui, his smile wide and inviting.

Sakura gave Shisui a rueful look and set down her book beside her futon. Beside it she found a beautifully carved fan. Itachi joined Sakura’s side.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” he asked. “You can bring the fan in case it gets hot.”

“Yes,” she said with a grin. “Did I tell you? I found a little temple in the forest, not too far away. It looks like there used to be another village around it, but most of it faded away.”

“Some things fade with time,” agreed Itachi.

“And some things get stronger,” added Shisui, joining them.

Thereafter, Sakura became a fixture at the Uchihas’ home and business. Rumours were rampant, and gossip rose and fell, but with no evidence or impropriety, the whispers dried up like rain after a warm day. Their unusual arrangement faded from notoriety and took on a comfortable, familiar feel.

Several years later, when Sakura’s family failed to return from their trade caravan, Itachi and Shisui sent out messengers to look for them. Their fears were confirmed within a few weeks. The caravan had fallen victim to marauders. Sakura accepted the Uchihas’ offer to remain with them indefinitely as she mourned, and together they rebuilt the Haruno textile anew.

Sakura remained with the Uchihas for five years as she re-established her family business.

“Thank you,” whispered Sakura, overcome with emotion as they re-opened her former family home together.

At her side, Shisui and Itachi nodded and watched as Sakura directed her new staff to clear the dust from the shelves and the tables, to prepare for the textile deliveries that would start within the coming weeks.

“You are welcome to stay with us,” offered Shisui that night as they ate around the Uchihas’ table.

“As long as you want,” added Itachi.

But they knew Sakura needed to stand on her own two feet. She shook her head at them.

“I can never repay you for everything you’ve done for me,” said Sakura, turning to the side. She drew two long boxes from under a nearby cushion. “But I hope you can accept these gifts.”

“Sakura, you didn’t need to—,” began Itachi, but Sakura shushed him.

“I wanted to,” she said.

They opened the boxes and stared in awe.

“I hope you like them,” said Sakura after a moment, when neither man spoke.

Looking at each other, Shisui and Itachi lifted the embroidered black silk happi coats from the boxes. Stunning red and white uchiwa fans had been sewn over their shoulders, and their hems were adorned with red-beaked blackbirds. The designs of the birds were slightly different, between Shisui’s coat and Itachi’s, but their attention to detail was breathtaking.

“Promise me you’ll wear them at least once,” said Sakura, breaking the awkward silence.

“We’ll treasure them forever,” said Itachi.

“These are robes fit to be married in,” teased Shisui. “Are you trying to tell us something?”

Sakura’s cheeks suddenly warmed, and then her eyes did, too. Her lips quivered before firming and she shook her head.

Realization dawned on Itachi first. He reached for Sakura, but she slid from his grasp like water.

“Thank you for looking after me. I’m sorry to have troubled you so long,” said Sakura quickly, rising to her feet and setting her shoulders proudly. “Please enjoy your meal.”

Gathering the small bag of her remaining personal items, Sakura nodded to the men, put on her sandals, and left to return to her own home for the night for the first time in five years.

Silence stretched between Shisui and Itachi.

Shisui swallowed and ran a hand through his hair before it fell to his lap.

Beside him, Itachi stared at his bowl of half-eaten rice and vegetables.

“Humans marry,” said Shisui half to himself.

Itachi looked down at his gift, stroking the tiny, precise stitches of one of the blackbirds.

“Sakura could marry,” added Shisui, his brow furrowing. He looked down at the finely crafted garment. “I never showed her my crow form.”

Itachi shook his head to the negative when Shisui caught his eye.

“Do you think she remembers?” asked Itachi.

Between them, their food was forgotten as they considered the past and present.

Shisui furrowed his brow, tracing the lines of the uchiwa fan on the shoulder of his new coat.

“Part of her does.”

* * *

_100 years ago_

Itachi wrestled the steering wheel of the motorcar back from Shisui’s wild grip.

“She’s here! She’s here!”

For the last several months, Shisui had become increasingly restless. They had both felt her return, but modern times had made the pair of tengu cautious. Flying from one place to another in their crow forms was dangerous; people were starving and they risked being shot down for food. They had had to take the long way, which meant walking and riding along with other humans. At least the time had provided them the opportunity to brush up on current society. Much had changed.

Now, they just had to track down Sakura.

The busy port city they had landed in felt right, but it had been days and there was still no sign of her. They had purchased the motorcar to help cover more ground, but it was a bit of a double-edged sword.

Shisui made another grab but Itachi elbowed him neatly this time, doubling Shisui over.

“I know she’s here but you’re going to cause an accident,” snapped Itachi, shoving Shisui back into his seat. He quickly pulled to the side of the busy city road, leaving the engine idling. Around them other cars and bicycles swerved, honking horns blaring at them. It was loud and distracting and set both men on edge. “And then we’ll be waiting another half-millennia—“

“You’re so snippy these days—“

“I miss her, of course I’m—“

“Gentlemen.”

Muffled, the order was followed by a perfunctory tap on the driver’s side window. Shisui swore under his breath.

Rolling down the window, Itachi perfected his mask of indifference and looked out at the dapper police...

Green eyes pierced him from beneath the pert police cap. Her long rose hair was neatly pinned up under the cap, and her navy uniform suited her direct demeanour.

“Yes, officer?” asked Itachi, his heart thumping in his chest.

“This road is a one-way street,” advised Sakura. Her expression offered no recognition, but just hearing her voice again had Itachi’s hands trembling. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

Itachi wasn’t the only one affected by Sakura’s voice.

“I’m so sorry,” gushed Shisui, launching himself over Itachi and practically out of the window in his efforts to reach Sakura. “Tell me what to do to make it better and I’ll do it.”

Unmoved by Shisui’s antics, Sakura pointed her baton at a nearby lot.

“Turn around there and return the way you came.”

“Anything you say,” said Shisui. “May I ask—“

Shisui’s question was cut off by Itachi elbowing him in the stomach again.

“We’ll do that right away,” said Itachi. “Thank you, I apologize for the error. We’re new to the area.”

He immediately, and very carefully, turned the car around in the lot and drove away.

“What are you doing! She was right there!” burst out Shisui.

“And now we know where she is and what she does,” replied Itachi, glancing at Sakura in the rearview mirror. He adjusted it slightly to watch her climb up onto her motorbike again. With a kick-start she had the engine going and proceeded to follow them out.

Shisui narrowed his eyes at Itachi before leaning back again, nodding to himself.

“We’re going to be in the area for a while, we need to establish ourselves,” said Shisui, understanding Itachi’s intention.

Half his attention on Sakura behind them, Itachi nodded.

“Preferably not as part of the criminal underworld.”

“It would get her attention faster.”

“It would get _everyone’s_ attention faster. And the food in prison is terrible, if the people on the train were to be believed.”

Shisui shrugged and watched Sakura in the side mirror until she turned off in another direction.

“We’ll find her again,” promised Itachi.

Resting his chin on his arms on the windowsill, Shisui nodded morosely. Sighing, he looked around the bustling streets.

“It’s loud here. And dirty.”

Itachi glanced around them, hardening his heart.

“There is suffering here.”

“I miss the mountains.”

“We’ll return. It will take time.”

It did. It took time for them to establish themselves and a business. Now there were licenses and paperwork and official regulations, most of which they could buy off quickly, but still, it was exhausting.

“A medical clinic?” asked Shisui, his hands on his hips as Itachi learned English from one book and translated and transcribed the applicant information he received into another.

“Sakura works as a police officer who helps others. This will help raise our status in society so she takes notice of us,” said Itachi.

“Western medicine?” Shisui continued.

“It’s very popular.”

With a sigh, Shisui helped with the translation, the hiring, and the supplying of the clinic they set up.

“In a poor area?”

Itachi nodded. “She works in the surrounding neighourhoods.”

Reading over a modern book on running a business, Shisui frowned. “We need to pay taxes.”

Itachi sighed, knowing where Shisui was headed.

“Do you think they’ll send Sakura if we don’t pay our—“

“No, they’ll send a tax collector.”

Shisui huffed.

It turned out, once the clinic was up and running, that they didn’t need to wait very long at all.

“Is this the free clinic?”

_Her voice!_

Shisui and Itachi bolted upright from their chairs and did their best not to run and shove each other aside as they made their way to the front reception desk.

“Hello again officer!”

Itachi swallowed his sigh as Shisui waved to Sakura... who was holding up a badly beaten man, one of his arms slung over her shoulder.

“May I drop this man off with you?”

“Is he still alive?” asked Shisui. He wrinkled his nose. The man hadn’t bathed in some time.

“We’re happy to assist,” broke in Itachi. “May I?” he asked, sliding the man’s other arm around his own shoulder.

“Thank you,” said Sakura.

Itachi led them to a private room and lifted the man up onto the bed, and a doctor immediately came to examine him.

“Is there anything else we can help you with, officer?” asked Itachi, walking Sakura to a communal sink in the hallway. They washed up, and he offered her a hand towel.

Sakura looked at him.

“You’re familiar,” said Sakura, eyeing Itachi. “Have we met?”

Itachi nodded, giving her a small smile. “You helped me navigate the correct way down a one-way street when my cousin and I arrived in the city.”

Recognition lit Sakura’s face and she snapped her fingers. “Yes!”

Though her face clouded again and she shook her head. “Though it feels like it’s more than that,” she said apologetically. “Then again, I meet many people every day.”

“You sound quite busy,” said Itachi as they lingered by the sink.

Sakura grinned.

“Busy is good,” she said.

Itachi tilted his head. “You enjoy your work.”

“Of course. Don’t you?”

“It brings me closer to my goals,” agreed Itachi vaguely.

Sakura gave him a strange look.

“And what are your goals?” she teased.

Itachi’s eyes never left Sakura’s face and the moment stretched.

“May I tell you over dinner?” he asked quietly.

Sakura’s lips opened to reply before she looked at him more closely. Something flickered behind her eyes, something old and new at once, and Itachi held his breath.

“Yes,” said Sakura, a quiet confidence straightening her shoulders. She looked toward the examination room where her charge was being poked and prodded. “Mind if he sobers up here? We found him under the bridge. He hasn’t done anything wrong, but he couldn’t stay there with the construction starting.”

“Of course.”

The silence stretched and Itachi offered his card to Sakura with a date and time. “I’d like to bring my cousin, if you don’t mind?”

Sakura arched a brow but didn’t object. They exchanged a few more details about where and when, and Sakura left the clinic with a small smile on her face.

Several months later, as they prepared for another rendez-vous with Sakura, Shisui shaved and spoke to Itachi through the open bathroom doorway.

“This is what humans feel, isn’t it?”

“Hn?”  
  
“When... when they care about someone else. Deeply. When they...” Shisui struggled to find the right words. “When they want to stay together.”

“Do you mean ‘marry’?”

“Ah,” said Shisui. He rinsed his razor under the faucet and tapped it on the side of the porcelain sink, then stared at himself. “But humans grow old together.”

Already dressed for the evening in a Western suit, Itachi joined Shisui and leaned against the doorway into the bathroom.

“What is bothering you?” asked Itachi quietly.

Shisui’s knuckles tightened around the edge of the sink and the razor’s handle.

“I don’t want to lose her again,” said Shisui.

“Tell her,” said Itachi, his voice soft.

Shisui looked up and guiltily met Itachi’s understanding expression in the mirror.

“We can tell her together,” added Itachi. After all, they felt the same.

Shisui nodded, his shoulders slumping with relief.

That night, Itachi and Shisui invited Sakura back to their home. It was set far back from the road, down a private alleyway. The three-storey brick building was constructed in the Western style, with multiple rooms on each floor, and the top floor looking out of much of the city. From the widow’s walk on the roof, they could make out the ships coming and going in the harbour.

“It’s beautiful,” breathed Sakura as they stood together. Sakura reached out to take their hands, surprising them. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

Itachi met Shisui’s gaze over Sakura’s head.

Shisui wet his lips and leaned down, whispering in Sakura’s ear.

“There’s more... if you’ll let us.”

Shisui and Itachi squeezed Sakura’s hands.

Their hearts in their throats, they waited.

They waited, and in all the millennia they had waited for her before, no moment had seemed longer than this one.

“... Show me,” whispered Sakura.

Itachi and Shisui swallowed.

Then, as one, they flew Sakura downstairs to their bedroom.

“You have wings—,” began Sakura, only for Shisui to silence her with a kiss.

“You have our hearts,” promised Itachi as they fell into bed.

For all their years, Itachi and Shisui had never bothered with intimate relationships, and their attempts at seduction now, while coordinated, overwhelmed Sakura in their earnestness and fumbling.

“Easy, easy,” she chuckled as one mouth kissed and another slid his tongue—Sakura gasped, her fingers sinking into Itachi’s hair as she pulled him closer. “Yes, yes, yes!”

Ever the gentlemen, the Uchiha ensured that Sakura went first, and second, and third.

“I-I think I need a minute,” whimpered Sakura later, her legs shaking.

“Would you like water?”

“More blankets?”

“More food?”

“A bath?”

Sighing with exhaustion, Sakura chuckled and shook her head. She opened her arms. “A cuddle?”

Shisui and Itachi were quick to oblige.

When they had all recharged, Sakura returned their favours and then some before they curled up together in a tangle of arms, legs, and comfort. A few feathers lay strewn about.

“I understand now why the humans stay together,” yawned Shisui. He pulled the covers up over the three of them.

“Hn,” murmured Itachi, eyes already closed. He buried his head in Sakura’s neck, pulling her closer.

They remained in the city only a few months longer.

When they returned to the temple in the spring, Sakura’s eyes narrowed.

“I’ve been here before,” she said, looking around. “But I’ve never been to the mountains.”

Itachi and Shisui looked at each other. They led Sakura around to the back of the temple, to the gardens.

“I died here,” whispered Sakura, her hand automatically falling to the wound she’d suffered to her side in a past life. She turned to look at Itachi and Shisui. “What’s going on?”

Itachi touched Sakura’s arm and motioned her forward, around the corner.

Before them stood a sprawling sakura tree in full bloom.

“You died there, where the tree grew,” said Itachi. “You have protected this place for generations.”

Sakura shook her head.  
  
“No, I’m not reborn. I don’t...” And yet Sakura’s expression flickered as she looked around the thick forest again. With quickening steps she hurried into the temple itself, moving straight to the old wooden trunks that bordered the walls. She reached in and immediately pulled out what she was looking for.

The ball-and-cup toy.

“How did I know this was there?” she asked. She rocked back on her heels, staring at the toy.

Itachi and Shisui came to join her.

“For the longest time,” said Shisui, “We thought you were a human.”  
  
“You passed and were reborn, and we always found you.”

Sakura looked at them, shaking her head.

“We realized, though, during the last cycle. You aren’t human.”

Shisui grinned. “You’re a kami.”  
  
“You’re crazy,” said Sakura.

Itachi shook his head. “The sakura tree in the yard never stops blooming. A child has never gone missing on this mountain.”

“There is always fresh, clean water in the well,” said Shisui.

“Wherever you are, the land prospers,” said Itachi.

“That’s ridiculous,” said Sakura, her brow arching.

Shisui shook his head.

“And you have always fought for those around you. Whether the children in the temple’s care, the employees your family supported, or the city you protected.”

“You have magic,” said Itachi.

“Together, we protect the mountain,” said Shisui.

Sakura looked between them.

“It sounds impossible...” she murmured. “... but it feels right.”

Looking at the toy in her hand again, a small smile spread across Sakura’s lips.

“This was your home, originally, wasn’t it?”

Her eyes landed on a panel at the back of the room. “That led to your private rooms.”

Itachi nodded and Shisui beamed.

“It still does,” added Shisui with a smirk.

This time, Sakura took their hands and led them through to the bedroom.

* * *

_Modern day_

Takashi rushed outside the shrine.

“Mariko! Tomo!”

His heart pounding in his ears, Takashi run like he hadn’t in over a decade. Where had they gone?

Rounding the corner, he heard the sound of voices and laughter.

“Mariko! Tomo! Kids!”

“Over here dad,” called Mariko. “We’re behind the shrine. There’s a garden, just like Shisui said!”

Tomo’s joyous laughter called out to Takashi like a siren song, and he followed it all the way around the building until he reached the small group.

“Mariko, Tomo, you are never to run off again, ever!” yelled Takashi, angry, relieved and terrified all at once. Leaning forward, he rested his hands on his knees and heaved in great gasps of air. His knees shook. He’d been so worried for a moment, when they’d disappeared...

The laughing died as the group sobered.

“Sorry, Dad,” said Mariko. “I thought you heard us when we said we were going to join Shisui in the garden.”

Tomo’s sniffles followed next, and soon his tears were streaming down his face.

“Tomo, it will be okay,” said the stranger from before, Shisui. He held a handkerchief out to Tomo and knelt beside him, gently wiping his face. “Your dad got worried about you. He loves you very much.”

“He was mad because he thought he lost you,” said a new voice, gentle and male.

Takashi looked, his jaw dropping open as he recognized the other man from the paintings in the shrine.

“He just wanted to know you were safe,” said a third voice.

The hair on the back of Takashi’s neck stood at attention as the same green eyes from the paintings stared back at him. The beautiful young woman smiled from beside the pond where the children fished.

“Your children are very well behaved, you must be very proud of them,” she praised.

Nodding, Takashi noted the men’s jackets, with the uchiwa fans on their shoulders, the blackbirds along their hems. He saw the way Mariko absently flipped the cup-and-ball toy as Tomo held his fishing rod steady in the pond. He saw the beautifully blooming sakura tree, set not far from the rear of the building.

And Takashi saw the way each man stood on either side of the pink-haired woman, even now, in the garden.

“Kids, say ‘thank you’. I think we should get back on the road,” said Takashi. He nodded to the group, and, just to be safe, bowed. “Thank you for watching over my children.”

“It was our pleasure. We don’t get many visitors these days,” said the woman. “Stop in on your way home, too, if you’d like. We can tell you more stories,” she added.

“Thank you for the fishing!” said Tomo, offering the rod back.

The man with the long, straight hair nodded and smiled, ruffling Tomo’s hair as the boy hopped up and joined his father again. Mariko returned the cup-and-ball toy to Shisui, who smiled and waved.

“Safe travels,” said Shisui.

“Have a great day!” cheered Tomo.

Takashi herded his family back to the path that led to the road and hurried them into the car. Night was falling and Takashi clenched his teeth. How long had they been in the shrine? He’d thought it was only a few minutes.

Pulling the map from his back pocket, Takashi quickly reviewed their route.

Shaking his head, he looked again.

They were actually much closer to the checkpoint than he’d thought.

“Thank kami,” he murmured to himself, passing the map to Mariko.

“Hm?” asked his daughter.

“Nothing,” muttered Takashi.

He turned on the car and they set off. They soon found the gate they needed to pass through, though the guard held up a hand from his little booth.

“Hold on,” he said as Takashi pulled the car closer.

“Is the pass already closed?” asked Takashi, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

“Not exactly. We just had a landslide about an hour ago. Lucky you weren’t here. It would have swept your car right over the edge,” said the guard seriously. “We’re almost done clearing the road. Good thing there’s no fog tonight or we wouldn’t have known about it until someone ran through it.”

Takashi stared at the guard.

The guard looked back at Takashi.

“What?”

“Then how did you know about it?” asked Takashi.

“Oh!” The guard brightened and pointed to a glossy blackbird with a red beak that perched on the roof of his guard booth. It bobbed its head. “Whenever these little guys show up, we know there’s trouble on the road. We shut the gate until we find it. Fallen trees, landslides, sinkholes, you name it, they’ve warned us about it. I can’t count how many lives they’ve saved.”

Just then a second blackbird flew up and landed beside the first, cawing twice. It also had a red beak.

“Looks like you’re good to go!” said the guard, lifting his hand. “You be careful, now.”

Takashi looked at the man like he was insane.  
  
“You aren’t going to check with a supervisor or the crew?”

The guard shrugged. “No service around here. Too much interference. The birds said you’re good to go, so you are.”

Takashi blinked before putting the car back in gear. It had been a strange day, and it looked like he would just have to accept it.

“Have a good night!” called the guard.

“Bye, mister!” called Tomo. “Bye, Shisui! Bye, Itachi!”

The birds cawed in unison before flying away.

* * *

**TBC**


	2. NSFW

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NSFW

**Tengu - One Night**

Pressed up against Shisui in the tight, cold closet, Sakura held her breath.

"We don't need to hide in our own home," said Shisui, leaning down to whisper against Sakura's ear.

"It's Itachi's turn to handle the guests," said Sakura. "And it's your turn," she began, taking his hand and tucking it inside her robe. "To handle me."

Shisui's eyes darkened in the closet as he pressed Sakura back against the panel wall. With Sakura guiding his touch, he angled his wrist down, cupping and kneading her before he slipped his middle finger inside her.

Sakura's soft moan encouraged Shisui to keep going. With gentle strokes he slid his fingertip up and down along Sakura's slit, coaxing her natural lubrication to prepare her. A few strokes was all it took for her slickness to come, and he began massaging her, encouraging more blood to flow to her lower lips. Leaning over Sakura, Shisui watched the way Sakura's cheeks warmed, her eyes shone darker as he slipped his finger up to caress the inner petals of her folds, then down to delve into her depths a little deeper.

When Shisui spread her lips wide to the chilly air, Sakura swallowed, her hands coming to rest on Shisui's shoulders.

He hnnn'd appreciatively.

"Open your robe," he demanded in a thick whisper against Sakura's ear.

"It's cold," said Sakura.

"Do it," he ordered, hearing Itachi's footsteps outside the closet door in the main room. Itachi was escorting the newcomers through the temple, just on the other side of the door. "Show me. A little at a time," whispered Shisui as Sakura slowly pulled open her kimono. "Tease me with your nipples," he said, giving way to his possessive side.

"This much?" asked Sakura. Unconsciously her hips had begun to work against Shisui's talented fingers. The scent of her arousal began to permeate the closet. Withdrawing her hands from Shisui's shoulders, she loosened the obi around her middle, and the slack revealed a slice of her bare skin around her neckline.

"More," demanded Shisui, nuzzling Sakura's cheeks as his hand worked between her legs.

"This much?" whispered Sakura, voice shaking as Shisui slid another finger inside her when her obi fell to the floor in a quiet heap. The gap in her kimono allowed Shisui a full view of her throat to her pussy, and he swallowed his moan at the way Sakura worked herself on his fingers, right in front of him.

"More, but slowly," ordered Shisui, voice hoarse. He backed her up against the wall completely, stepping between Sakura's legs, forcing her to spread herself wider before him.

"I feel exposed," whispered Sakura.

"It's okay, it's just us," assured Shisui. "Show me everything, Sakura. Just like that..."

So Sakura trailed her fingers down each side of the kimono's opening, from her neck, down between the valley of her breasts, down to the small curve of her lower belly, feeling the intensity of Shisui's eyes on her every move. When she brushed up against his wrist, her mouth fell open as he scissored her open wider for a moment. Looking down, she watched his fingers pumping in and out of her, saw the hint of shiny slickness that clung to his skin and down her shameless thighs. She could never believe how wet he could make her...

Her breathing catching as her urge heightened, Sakura tried to distract herself by focusing on Shisui's face as she, achingly slowly, pulled open her kimono, an inch at a time, to reveal her heavy, swollen breasts to him, her mounds peaked from cold and arousal.

"Keep them out," ordered Shisui, reaching down to free his cock from his own robes and trousers. His erection was already thick, and he pushed his undergarments out of the way to enable freer movement. "I want to watch them."

Sakura couldn't help swallowing as Shisui's prominent head pressed against her belly. She licked her lips, her fingertips eager to smooth across the slit in its mushroom tip to smear the already leaking precum and stroke him just how he liked. He pinned her with his hips, and she swallowed a half-whine. On the other side of the closet door, she heard Itachi's footsteps come to a halt.

"Are you getting distracted, Sakura?" asked Shisui against the shell of her ear. His lips kissed down her throat slowly, sucking on her pulse just the way she liked and leaving her lightheaded with need. His fingers stretched her wider before he sank a third finger into her, and Sakura had to bury her face in Shisui's throat to muffle her sigh-moan at the fullness. "Ah ah," tutted Shisui, gently opening Sakura's elbows which had begun to falter. "Present your breasts to me properly, wife. Show me how stiff your nipples are. Keep them out like a good girl," cajoled Shisui, adding, "... and you'll get your reward."

"They," Sakura swallowed struggling to think straight. Shisui's voice always did things to her, convinced her to do things she'd never have agreed to. The way he made her feel was incredible, dirty and sometimes scary, but always, always so very good. "They're so heavy," she whispered.

Rubbing Sakura's clit with the hell of his palm, Shisui watched Sakura stiffen further, her legs tremble and her hips fairly thrust against his fingers as he curled them to reach a special spot inside her. Her lips pressed shut to stifle herself, Sakura did her best to muffle her reaction; but she knew the wet sounds of Shisui plunging into her must be audible from the other side of the door.

"What do you need, Sakura?" asked Shisui against her ear, his cock throbbing between them. It felt like a primal pulse between them, and Sakura wondered if Shisui could feel her insides pulsing around his fingers in time with the pulse of his cock.

"I want to touch them," admitted Sakura, holding her kimono out wide for Shisui. "I want to ride your cock until you can't take it anymore but you can't let go until I say yes. I want you to finger-fuck me while I do it, and I want to touch myself until you beg me to let you go inside me."

Shisui's eyes drilled into Sakura's as she whispered her confession, her channel sucking his fingers inside her eagerly, refusing to let him go.

"There isn't enough room—"

"Then fucking kneel," said Sakura, lifting her chin, her eyes now the ones ordering Shisui to obey.

Shisui did, propping his feet up against one wall and pressing his back into the other. His dark eyes dared Sakura to go on.

Licking the inside of her bottom lip, Sakura dropped to her knees over Shisui's hips, aligning him before sinking down on his thick length until he was hilt-deep inside her, stretching her perfectly. His skillful fingering had prepared her for him, and he was seated inside her in a single thrust. Their breathing was harsh as they stared at each other a moment.

It was their only respite.

With her thighs on either side of Shisui's hips, Sakura began her fierce thrusting, impaling herself over and over again on Shisui's perfect cock. She grabbed Shisui's wrist, holding his fingers in place inside her as he strained to keep contact with her clit.

"There," she gasped, eyes clenched shut in pleasure. "Right there, keep going, yes, yes—"

Her kimono had fallen away revealing her naked shoulders, the twist in her hair loosening with each snap of her hips.

Knowing what his wife needed, Shisui reached up and began fondling her breasts, just the way she liked. He watched as her head fell back on her silent cry and swallowed as he felt her core squeezing him like a sinful vise inside her, threatening to break his control.

The sudden jerk she gave and the resulting wetness that spurted against him confirmed to Shisui that he had at least seen to Sakura's immediate needs.

With a gentleness completely at odds with their previous acts, Shisui smoothed his hands over Sakura's breasts, gentling her, and pulled her into his arms. Sakura slumped against Shisui, her heart still racing and her breath trying to catch up.

"You okay?" murmured Shisui, leaning back with Sakura atop him.

"Mmmmmmm," sighed Sakura happily. "That was so good."

Shisui smiled into her hair.

"Itachi's going to be pretty pissed," said Shisui, stroking Sakura's back.

"He can take it out on you this time. I'll watch," said Sakura, resting against Shisui's chest. Her eyes were closed as she hummed contentedly. "That was so good," she repeated, satisfied.

Kissing her deeply, Shisui chuckled to himself.

"Take it out on me, huh?"

"Mmmm," nodded Sakura, arms and legs limp. "I know you each enjoyed each other before. I want to watch next time."

Heat rising in his cheeks, Shisui laughed to himself, though it turned into a sigh.

The closet door being ripped open and a very angry, very aroused Itachi glared down at them menacingly.

"Did you think that was funny?"

Still blissed, Sakura smiled at him with bedroom eyes. She rolled a little to the side, knowing her nipple was peeking out by the way Itachi's and Shisui's breathing shifted, just enough.

In a husky, needy voice, Sakura said,

"I'll fuck you next if you get on your knees, 'tachi."

Itachi's chest heaved once, his grip white-knuckled on the doorframe. There was silence. Then,

"Here?" asked Itachi cautiously.

"Or in our room," offered Sakura. She shrugged. "You look like you need... attention," said Sakura leadingly, her eyes falling to the prominent tent in the front of his kimono.

When Itachi tried to hold out a little longer, Sakura idly traced one of Shisui's nipples, her eyes on Itachi.

"Shisui can watch," whispered Sakura. Her hips began a slow grind on Shisui's as she spoke, and she watched Itachi's eyes become heavy-lidded, the bulge in his kimono swelling prominently, unable to feign discretion any longer. Her voice lowered further.

"Or he can join in."

Itachi's breath caught.

"Our room," said Itachi thickly. "Now."

Sakura smiled.

"Easy," gasped Shisui, his hands falling to Sakura's hips to still her. His head fell back. "Easy," he begged.

Sakura perked up and kissed the end of his nose before settling back in his arms for just two more seconds. Itachi would be rearranging their room to suit himself, anyway.

"Thank you for your help, Shisui," said Sakura.

"You know he's going to spread his wings in there if you give him that much room," said Shisui.

"Mmmhmmm," said Sakura, eyes bright.

Shisui chuckled.

"You're going to be so full by the end of the night..." 

"Yes," sighed Sakura happily. She lifted her head from Shisui's chest. "Love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

**THE END.**

**Author's Note:**

> There will be a small addition to this fic shortly. It will be smut, to be posted as a separate chapter because I think this part of the fic stands quite well on its own. ;)


End file.
